Revolutionary Pancakes

When I was pregnant, you wouldn’t believe how many people told me how much fun it would be cooking for a little person someday. Although this seemed like an obvious thing, I kind of shrugged it off, thinking that it wouldn’t be that awesome. I think part of me feared the pressure, or the possibility of cooking becoming more of a chore than a pleasure.

Although I’ve had my fair share of noggin scratchin’, I have to say that cooking is now more than a pleasure. It’s moved into a greater creative place, I feel freer, and I’ve discovered so many cool things through the challenges.

Take this recipe for example. Seeing as happy accidents seem to be at the core of what I do, it’s no surprise that the recipe for Revolutionary Pancakes evolved from something other than what it was originally intended for. In July of last year I blogged about Raspberry Ripple Buckwheat Porridge. Around this time, I was beginning to give my little babe whole grains, but because we chose to let him feed himself, it was hard to actually get enough in him – the floor had all it could handle, thank you. One day after blending the porridge up, I looked at the still-hot skillet on the stove from my husband’s eggs, and mused about pouring my own breakfast into the pan. So I did. And it made a pancake. A pretty perfect, tasty, sprouted pancake that my baby could actually pick up and eat himself without supplying the hardwood with yet another coat of whole grain goodness. For the win.

This got me pretty excited. Not only did I have a new and very popular meal for my wee one, but a new a very popular meal for myself. I’ve been experimenting a lot for the last 9 months with this one and I’m thrilled to say we have a rather fool-proof recipe on our hands, dear friends. Pancakes for everyone!

And what is so revolutionary about them? These pancakes contain two ingredients. They are flour-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan. They use soaked whole buckwheat and any other grain you have in your pantry; brown rice, quinoa, millet and amaranth are my favourites. Add-ins are welcome and sneaking some fruits, veg or superfoods into these is totally possible. Lastly, and my favourite aspect, is that you don’t even get a bowl or spoon dirty in the process since you can soak the grains right in your blender, then pour the batter straight into the pan.

Flour Power?I am trying my best to live a flour-free life. Why? Because even if I buy “whole grain” flour at the store, I don’t really know how whole grain it actually is, how long it’s been since it was processed, and just how that went.

If you consider foods’ three mortal enemies: heat, light and oxygen, flour seems like it may be on the losing end of this battle. Grinding grain inevitably exposes its insides to the three foes, so keeping grains whole right up until you’re going to consume them is no doubt the best practice to avoid losing vitamins, minerals, and gaining serious un-desirables, such as oxidized fats.

To remedy all of this, we can grind our own grain and use them right away. Soaking the whole grains first, then using them in a recipe such as this one, is the easiest method for most of us. We can also make our own flour, either in a dedicated grain mill (which can be expensive) or with something as simple as a coffee grinder. I also really love buying rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant) and grinding them in my food processor to make flour. This is a really easy and inexpensive way to ensure I’m getting a whole product, ground fresh and full of nutrients.

If you are going to buy flour, make sure it has an expiry date (as all food should go bad at some point, eh?) and surprise! Keep it in the fridge. That’s right, all sealed up tight in a cool, dark place. If you are someone who does a lot of baking and goes through flour very quickly, no need to worry about this too much, but if you’re a sporadic baker like me, keep the enemies at bay.

I must be upfront and inform you that these are not like the familiar, light-n-fluffy American-style pancakes, or whisper-thin European crêpes. Because they are not made with white flour, or flour at all for that matter, they are substantial in taste and texture. On the grounds of their potential density, I like to make mine on the thin side, and relatively small. You can thin the batter out quite a lot if you do like crêpes, but they will inevitably be chewier – a quality I quite like.

I’ve always been an enthusiastic pancake eater because they are the prefect blank canvas for all manner of healthy, tasty toppings. I like to crown these particular ones with homemade nut butter, fresh seasonal fruit, hemp seeds, coconut, and of course maple syrup, honey, or jam.

As a bonus, I’ve included a quick recipe for luscious Ginger-Vanilla Cashew Cream. Since I posted a picture of it on Instagram, it would be almost cruel not to provide you with the ingredients and method, however simple it all is to make. What’s groovy about pairing this with the pancakes is that you’re already soaking grains for breakfast, so giving the nuts a bath before bed seems like no extra effort at all.

Revolutionary Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 part buckwheat groats
1 part other gluten-free grain (quinoa, millet and amaranth all work well)
about 2 parts water, as needed

Directions:
1. Soak buckwheat and other grain overnight in pure water with an acidic medium (such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, read more about that here). In the morning, drain and rinse well.
2. Place grains in a blender with water equal to the volume of grains used (if you used 1/2 cup buckwheat and 1/2 cup quinoa, use 1 cup water). Blend on highest setting until smooth, and add more water if needed. The consistency should be like pancake batter: fluid and pour-able but not thin and watery. Add any other elements you’d like, but try to maintain the consistency – add more water if necessary.
3. Heat a large skillet or griddle with just a little bit of coconut oil or ghee. When hot, pour desired amount of batter onto the skillet, wait until bubbles form on the top and the batter becomes almost opaque, then flip. I recommend starting the first batch off in a really hot pan, then lowering the heat slightly to cook the rest. No need to add fat to the pan after the first round – once the pan is hot enough the pancakes should cook without the need for any additional oil.
4. Serve hot with desired toppings. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Freeze extras and reheat in a toaster oven before enjoying.

Directions:
1. Place cashews in water and soak for at least 4 hours, up to 12. Drain and rinse.
2. Combine cashews with all other ingredients in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking. Store leftovers in tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to five days.

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One more exciting thing to mention is The Guardian’s magazine, Observer Food Monthly has published a story about the wave of healthy eating washing over the globe and the women who are at the forefront of this movement. The cover features The Hemsley Sisters, Ella Woodward, Anna Jones, and yours truly (a very dolled-up version, I might add). Read the article and get one of the spring recipes from my cookbook, here.

Amazing taste! It is sooo rich in flavor. The ginger is the perfect ingredient that ties it all. I will never go back to regular pancakes. My next goal, take a cooking class from you!!! Have a great day!

We call these type of pancake a pikelet in Australia, it is a very sweet name and they are often given as a snack in a lunch box with a little fresh butter and jam. I’m really looking forward to making these thanks for sharing all your fine work I feel like I’m inspired every visit.

Hi Sarah
thank you for sharing all your amazing recipe’s – you provide a ton of kitchen inspiration 🙂
i’ve never had problems with any of your recipe’s before but this one isn’t working for me – the middle of the pancakes isn’t cooking, have tried twice now and had epic failures! Even when spread really thin…(been using buckwheat – amaranth combo)
Obviously this method works as other people are having success with it – any idea what it is i’m doing wrong?!
Advice from anyone would be amazing – I want to get these nailed! Rachel x

Hi Sarah,
I made these for the second time (like others, I found that less water is needed), and this time, I soaked the grains (buckwheat & quinoa) in the morning, blended it in the evening and let it ferment overnight. I had dosas and injeras in mind. I was hoping for lightly sour and lighter, more bubbly pancakes. Well, they were still very good but didn’t turn out like I had hoped. Next time, I’ll let it ferment ~18hrs or add a bit of almond yogurt to the batter. See how and if that works in your kitchen 🙂 (I haven’t read all the post, sorry if I’m repeating and someone already suggested that).

SO impressed with this recipe! I admit I was really sceptical as I have had many a vegan pancake stick to the pan and turn into a scrunched up omelette when flipped. Not worth the trouble! I gave up all attempts at egg-less pancakes long ago. And with this recipe I admit that I did a ‘pilot’ one first, with an egg on standby ready to mix into the rest should the first one not hold together… But it came out perfectly! And so did the rest, yay! How is that possible?? Such a thrill, I will definitely be making these again and again. They are quite dense but I kind of like that chewy, bread-y bite. I had mine with hazelnut butter, raspberries and maple syrup. Oh, and the cashew cream totally deals the deal here (although I made mine with vanilla instead of ginger.) Perfect balance of sweet & citrus. Thanks a million Sarah, you’re a revolution!

We call these type of pancake a pikelet in Australia, it is a very sweet name and they are often given as a snack in a lunch box with a little fresh butter and jam. I’m really looking forward to making these thanks for sharing all your fine work I feel like I’m inspired every visit.

This is indeed revolutionary! I love it. I don`t like buyying flour either. Nowadays you can never be sure of what`s inside a package! I prefer oats in baking. But your idea is amazing! Thank you for sharing!

Hello Sarah,
these pancakes are truly awesome!! I already did the recipe several times, with millet and quinoa.
Do you think I could use the batter to make waffles? Would I need to add anything then?
Thx for your answer 🙂
Sarah

thanks….I just got out of my hot water bottled bed to soak the groats!
Looking forwards to try these as pancakes are something I often desire but my healthier versions usually fail miserably…usually too wet.
I await the morning eagerly!x

Woman you are the evil in person!! First was the soaking everyday not for porridge but for pancakes but now i took this to an other level, this morning I didnt have any soaked grains soI decided to use rolled oats and quinoa flakes, and it worked (with a little bit more water) now I dont even have excuses not to do pancakes… I dont know if I should celebrate or cry

I love all your recipes and this one is just amazing <3 your new way of making pancakes is great, I made my version with buckwheat only and blend it with bananas and some spices. That was so easy and tasty:

I’ve been making your Seriously Super Cereal recipe for a while now so when I realised these pancakes were similar I just blended my soaked cereal! Worked great and the sunflower seeds added a great flavour to the cakes. Look forward to seeing what you post next.

Revolutionary is the only word!!!! I did as you did and used the raw buckwheat porridge recipe. I’ve been off flour for months and these will change everything! How does one live without pancakes?! The secret here is to be patient and flip only when the middle is bubbling….

I see so many recipes for cashew butter or cream lately and they all use RAW cashews. Cashews are in the poison ivy family and if you have a sensitivity, you get systemic poison ivy from eating them raw…but they’re fine when cooked. I have experienced the systemic attack of poison ivy from cashews. So WHY do all these recipes call for raw cashews instead of cooked? Is there a reason? Thank you for your response, and your beautiful blog!

A lot of the raw sauces that are more creamy are made with cashews. It’s the consistency. I stopped using them many years ago due to the fact they aren’t edible raw. I’ve used all sorts of other nuts and seeds and I’m happy with results. Mac nuts are good for more creamier sauces.

Great idea, but they didn’t turn out well for me 🙁 I soaked 1/4 cup of buckwheat and 1/4 cup of amaranth in 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 Tbsp of apple vinegar, I left it for 9h. In the morning I rinsed the grains and try to blend them, but amaranth was still hard, it didn’t blend… there was no problem with buckwheat, but I had whole, hard grains of amaranth in pancakes plus I could taste apple vinegar :/ I ate them thanks to addition of stevia, cinnamon, banana and peanuts, but I won’t be using amaranth next time. Did I do something wrong? Should I use hot water for soaking?

Lida, you soak the grains overnight in a large volume of water, at least 4 times the amount of water to allow the grains to expand. The water amount you used was meant to add to the blender in the morning with the presoaked, rinsed grains.

these are so good. and so filling! I used half buckwheat/half steel cut oats. I didn’t have cashews so I made a quick sauce by mixing tahini, maple syrup, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, yuzu juice and water. + blueberries on top. so good. i’m excited to make a savory version!

My two year old daughter loved these with a bit of raspberry jam. We used the buckwheat and millet combination. After soaking and rinsing the grains we added an egg, cinnamon and vanilla. Delicious and nutritious. Thanks for the toddler friendly recipe. I was hoping to see a few of these after the arrival of your little one 🙂

these pancakes are fantastic. I used half buckwheat/half steel-cut oats. I didn’t have cashews on hand for the sauce so I mixed tahini with maple syrup, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, yuzu juice and a little water. topped it all with fresh blueberries. thank you for this recipe!

I have a little question. I’ve bought an old millet (it’s very bitter and if you try to sprout it, it spoils). Is it possible to use these old grains for recipe like this? Will soaking them overnight work if they’re unable to sprout?

I make these a lot–it’s quite a common baby food to make pancakes out of soaked grains. Sometimes I use coconut water kefir to soak the grains (or nut/seed milk + apple cider vinegar), and sometimes, if I am feeling really creative, I’ll add an egg or two, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Really though, for the young kids, blended up soaked grains cooked into a pancake are quite nice and easy.

Sarah, you’re such a genious! I made a savoury version as dinner (1/2 buckwheat, 1/2 hulled barley), with a leftover boiled red beet mixed in the batter (red velvet crepes!), and also cumin and smoked paprika. I served them with red beet hummus (all things pink;) ), steamed green veggies and coriander. THE BOMB!

Made these yesterday morning w/ 1/2 C of buckwheat and 1/2 cup of quinoa. I should have added less than 1 C water after I rinsed them in the morning as it was very liquidy so I added some almond and coconut flour, plus an egg & some cinnamon. I felt they tasted very strongly of quinoa and would probably pick another grain. Halfway through making the pancakes I added a bit of salt & lemon juice. Topped with the AMAZING cashew cream and sliced pear. Very hearty breakfast, housemate said they were delicious

Yes–you can even use a mix of oats/buckwheat. For younger children keep away from the rolled oats until they’re older, but whole oat groats are usually tolerated well and a pancake recipe like this will work.

sarah=
thanks for this!
just wanted to mention that although i love them, and use them, rolled oats are ‘almost’ flour–they are still a process that grinds down and exposes the grain to light and heat. if you haven’t tried whole oats, or ‘groats’, yet, i definitely recommend them—they are the most delicious chewy grain ever…

I love simple pancakes recipes like this. I have my own version of buckwheat crepes on my blog which follows a similar method. I will have to try the cashew drizzle though it looks amazing. http://www.reneesexton.co.nz

Ok, so I was SUPER excited to make these this morning and had an epic fail. They were prefect on the outside but really gummy on the inside. I tried cooking them longer, making them thinner, and even added a protein powder. NO GO!! Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Dear Sarah,
I love your blog and you can’t imagine how you have been inspiring me. I’m a structural engineer, but I decided to change my life and I’m now attending the online course at the CSNN (Canadian School of Natural Nutrition).
I’ve got a blog in Italian (for now) and I have two recipes you might love because for them I used only whole grains instead of flours to retain the nutrition values of cereals.
This is what I called THE MAGIC BREAD http://www.larapacruda.it/pane-magico-naturale-senza-glutine/
And this is the MAGIC BANANA BREAD http://www.larapacruda.it/pan-banana-magico-naturale-senza-glutine/
Please email me at larapacruda@gmail.com if you want me to translate the recipe for you :)!
Thank you for being so inspiring <3
Emanuela

I’m so happy to have found your site. We try to eat clean, though not always able to find things in our little town.
Please tell me would it be possible to use steel cut oats instead of buckwheat grouts?

I have been making similar pancakes with three grains and soaking them in homemade kefir (mixed with little bit of water)overnight and then blending with eggs and baking soda ( and spices) These pancakes are quick and easy to make even on a week day morning.

This morning I had the Raspberry Ripple Buckwheat Porridge (but with mixed berries instead) for breakfast and while browsing Bloglovin I found this post. What a lovely coincidence. Thanks to you I have included many more grains in my meals and my everyday food is more plant-based than ever, which makes me super happy. Plus, today your book finally arrived and I look fwd to be cosy in my sofa and admire all the delicious recipes in it.
I’ll be making this pancakes pretty soon, for sure!

Dear Sarah, what a wonderful recipe! I had already my Seriously Super Cereal prepared and soaked (which I absolutely love), so I will try this recipe tomorrow. It is so much fun to cook all these different meals with the things I already have in my pantry, and I´m spreading the word everywhere. You really deserve all the good things happening to you!

Hi, I think this recipe is fantastic.
In general, I’m really glad to have heard about your site via other blogs etc. I think yours is one of the blogs with the highest quality concerning food, recipes and philosophy behind this project!

These look great! But here’s a question on a side note. Have you ever found buckwheat that won’t sprout? I recently had two bags that wouldn’t. They got all mushy and kind if disintegrated instead. I wrote to the company who told me that they had to be the dark brown unhulled kind to sprout, but that hasn’t been my experience in the past. What kind of buckwheat do you buy? Brand? Online or in store? Thanks!

I got out of bed last night, leaving behind my hot water bottle may I add – to go and soak quinoa and buckwheat. I eagerly awaited the morning as I haven’t had much success with healthier pancakes. And I am really happy to say that it was so worth it as they were the best healthier pancakes I’ve had!
Thank you so much for this recipe. Really appreciate your creativity and passion.

Dear Sarah, thank you for this amazing recipe (and for your book which I litterally devoured). Do you think red lentils would work in this recipe? I’m always interested in adding more legumes to my meals! Thanks!

Helene, there is an Indian recipe called dosas which does something similar with mung bean dal (or split peas, and I’m sure red lentils, which are a type of dal) and rice (I use brown rice) except that you ferment the blended mixture overnight. I suspect they would be very heavy without the fermentation. You can look up a recipe on the Internet – there are complicated versions, so stick with the ones that have split peas, rice (soaked and drained) and water blended together and fermented overnight – nothing else is needed if you ferment them overnight.

I came to your site after looking at the Observer Article and I really like your style and your recipes. And this one hit a nerve because yesterday morning me and my two and a half year old son were making the gluten free pancake recipe I do. Mine uses a banana and some yoghurt and almond milk and an egg so not as pure and simple as yours. It is so important to cook with our little ones. I’m going to start following you now, and get on my ipad for your book. Thank you so much.

What a brilliant idea Sarah! I’ll have to try it soon. As your little boy is growing older, you will have more and more fun creating nourishing meals for him, I certainly do for my 2 children. Thank you for sharing the great article, it’s inspiring to see healthy eating, especially plant-based food, going mainstream indeed. Congrats lovely Queen of Greens and Health!!! xoxo

What an amazing recipe!! I do big weekly batches of sprouting (quinoa for rejuvelac, buckwheat/millett/amaranth for plain/popped grains for granola and flour) but seem to have an excess so this recipe will be so yummy and use up some of my sprouts! Can’t wait to try it and also can’t wait for your amazing new book to arrive in my letterbox either 😉

I have been experimenting with this style ‘pancake’ too and you have inspired me to broaden my grain-horizons further. Taking it back a step though, I was also wondering if you made raw porridge from anything other than buckwheat? Can brown rice or quinoa be eaten soaked too, or do they require cooking?

Yes, you can definitely use brown rice or quinoa. I only eat sprouted grains. Just soak the quinoa for 6-8 hrs then sprout the quinoa for two days (until their tails appear) but I find rice takes a little longer. You can also use wild rice and I soak it and place it in the dehydrator to speed up the process. Or you can ‘pop’ grains too after soaking/sprouting. Once I’ve sprouted the seed if I’m not using it straight away I’ll either freeze up a batch or dehydrate them. I make big batches and dehydrate/freeze so that they are always on hand depending on what I feel like eating that day.

Brilliant, as usual! These sound like just my kind of pancakes – simple, easy and packed with nutrients – so you bet I’ll be giving them a try this summer! Maybe throw in some banana and spinach and see where the griddle takes me! 😉 Thanks for the recipe!

When someone uses the measurement “one part,” it indicates that the measurement is more about proportion than a specific amount. For example: one part grain and two parts water would translate to, for example: 1 cup grain/2 cups water; or: 1/3 cup grain/2/3 cup water; or two cups grain/4 cups water – and so on.

I just got out of my hot water bottled bed to soak the groats!
Looking forwards to try these as pancakes are something I often desire but my healthier versions usually fail miserably…usually too wet.
I await the morning eagerly!x

I read the recipe and went downstairs to soak some buckwheat and millet. That’s how excited I am to try it! I’m out of cashews but I will definitely try the cream soon – sounds amazing! I do have some of your luscious spiced strawberry sauce in the fridge, and I think it’ll be a good match. I’m now going to bed thinking about tomorrow’s breakfast, haha!